GLP1R Variants and Polygenic Risk Underlie Heterogeneous Response to GLP-1 Receptor Agonists in Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

ObjectiveTo identify clinical and genetic factors associated with variation in glycemic response to glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) therapy among adults with type 2 diabetes, with a focus on common GLP1R variations, polygenic risk load, and pancreas-specific regulation annotation. Research Design and MethodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study using electronic health record (EHR)-linked biobank data from the All of Us research workbench platform that included 5784 adults with type 2 diabetes who initiated GLP-1RA therapy. Baseline HbA1c was measured within 3 months before medication initiation, and follow-up HbA1c was measured after 3 months. The patients with type 2 diabetes were classified as good responders (HbA1c reduction [≥] 2.5 percentage point) or poor responders (HbA1c reduction <0.5 percentage point). Models adjusted for demographic characteristics, anthropometric and metabolic measures, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), lipid profile, liver function tests, polygenic risk score, and GLP1R variant carrier status were compared between the two groups. Common GLP1R variations were further investigated for carrier frequency and associated HbA1c levels before and after medication use. ResultsThe cohort included 3194 good responders and 2590 poor responders. Good responders were younger than poor responders (55.2 vs. 58.6 years) and had significantly higher glycemic improvement. HbA1c levels fell from 9.2% to 6.3% in good responders and 8.4% to 8.1% in poor responders, resulting in an absolute HbA1c reduction of 2.9% and 0.3%, respectively. Good responders also showed larger decreases in fasting glucose, BMI, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and liver enzymes, as well as minor improvements in HDL-C. After multivariable adjustment, Poor responders had a greater T2D polygenic risk score (0.38 vs. 0.21), more GLP1R coding variant carrier status (10.1% vs. 8.0%), and a higher overall GLP1R variant burden (22.8% vs. 19.2%). Variant-level studies revealed rs2268650 and rs2003132 enrichment among poor responders, with negative post-treatment HbA1c patterns in carriers, whereas good-response carriers showed significant HbA1c improvement. ConclusionsResponse to GLP-1RA in T2D is associated with baseline clinical and metabolic status, as well as inherited genetic susceptibility, which includes common GLP1R variation and a larger polygenic risk burden. Integrating clinical and pharmacogenomic profiling may improve patient classification and provide insight into treatment failure in poor responders.